Join Detective NJ and Detective Bean track and attempt to capture the notorious criminal Miss Nita Direction before she steals all 50 of the United States!

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

"Don't Lose Rhode Island!"

The title of tonight's blog post comes directly from our adventure putting together the "We've Been There" state today as not once, not twice, but three times in the course of Mikayla attempting to find the letters R and I (because that was all that was fitting!) did she manage to misplace the tiny little state this afternoon. Poor Rhode Island, it really does get so easily forgotten. We did (eventually) manage to get the state done and up on our wall and it's probably a really good thing no Gatchel's have been to Rhode Island because I'm pretty sure there's no room on it for any stickers either.But I'm getting a little ahead of myself. The kiddos were both off to school this morning and I got to go and get a massage - what a way to spend my morning :) Many many thanks to Tess and Keith for the hook-up, it was much needed and deeply appreciated. I made it back to town just in time to grab the Bean and then she and I headed to a couple different Party City locations to find the last pieces to her Halloween costume. She *really* wanted the Elsa wig but I did manage to convince her to swap that for a tiara and gloves instead. Who knows, the wig may show up yet... Anyway, we of course had to try on the costume (she's over the moon) before lunch and then the above mentioned tackling of the state. She worked on her homework for awhile, we got some more blue bug work in, I got some food prepped and time in at the office, it was a good afternoon. Noah came home still in a bit of a funk (we had a 3 hour post-dinner battle here last night, it was just lovely...) and has been relegated to his room until he cleans out under his bed, so maybe he'll get some more work in on his projects when he gets that done. Sometimes being six stinks. For dinner tonight I made Johnny Cakes. This pancake like food is made with cornmeal and dates back to colonial times. There is some debate that a johnnycake may have originated in Rhode Island but is a New England staple. They reminded me a lot of the lace cakes from Kentucky. Breakfast foods for dinner are always a hit around here (and I often make pancakes using cornbread mix, so I knew they'd love these) so they were an easy sell here tonight along with some sausage patties, red skinned (for the Rhode Island Red Chicken - the state bird!) fried potatoes and some mini oranges. I told everyone to leave room for a dessert of Rhode Island Coffee Cabinets. You might remember our coffee milk (the state beverage!) from Monday, but this takes it one step further. A Coffee Cabinet is made of ice cream, coffee syrup and milk, and pretty much anywhere outside of Rhode Island would be billed as a milkshake or frappe. But according to legend, the fact that the machines used to blend the drinks, and often the syrups used to flavor them, were kept in wooden cabinets led to the Rhode Island based name. The Bean and I are heading to Bowling Green tomorrow to make a visit to see Uncle Scott (and Grandma, too)! Can't believe my 'baby' brother is a sophomore in college! Then it's back here to color some maps, eat some more clams with a casino twist, munch on some cobblestones, cheer on the Tigers in their opener and I'm off to an Origami Owl party. Non-stop I tell ya! So until then...Rhode Island Fun Fact of the Day: Rhode Island has the highest percentage of Catholics in the nation. Rhode Island and Utah are the only two states in which a majority of the population are members of a single religious body.

An Elsa sneak peek!

Hmmm, what letters start Rhode Island?

Yep, definitely tiny

We had a Rhode Island Photo shoot

It's up!

Look how far our map has come!

Kayla and I working on her Big Blue Bug

Meet Fred!

She was over the moon with Fred

Fred - which starts with F, which just happens to be the letter of the week at school

Cooking up Johnny Cakes - OK true story that the batter is super thin on these and they are kind of pain to make. But worth it! Noah ate 5 - no joke

Everyone finished dinner in under 30 minutes, a major success around here

Coffee Cabinets - Taste testers liked this one and agreed that my homemade syrup was what made it. They tried just the ice cream on it's own as well and ALL preferred the cabinets

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WANTED!

Last Known Whereabouts: Lurking around Farmington Hills, Michigan, keeping an eye on her newly appointed trackers, Noah and Mikayla Gatchel

Feared Future Plans: Stealing each of the 50 U.S. states to put them under the direction of BAD

About Nita

Prior to her escape, MOMG had heard rumors of Nita’s plans to attempt to steal all fifty of the United States. Intelligence shows that Direction has long been planning her thieving scheme.

Direction is well known for her burglary and theft skills. She is a master of blending into her surroundings and familiarizing herself with her terrain and becoming a ‘local’. She is devoted to researching her target before striking and is known for her patience. She is not thought to be dangerous, simply sneaky. Citizens are asked not to attempt to make contact with Nita if spotted, she spooks easily and could be lost.

Burglars and Delinquents (BAD)

Nita is the boss of the crime syndicate BAD. The detectives should expect BAD to assist Nita in her plans.

Ministry of Modern Goodness (MOMG)

The Ministry is tasked with protecting all 50 of the United States. They are enlisting the help of the Gatchel Detectives to capture Miss Direction